Inception Ultimate Collectors Edition with Steelbook [4K Ultra HD] [2010]

I managed to see this for a second time a couple of weeks ago, after I was unsure of my initial feelings of it upon first viewing. Thankfully, a lot of the issues I had with it are cleared up after this second watch. Nolan's mind-bending marriage of science-fiction, Bond film and heist movie livens up a nigh on awful summer blockbuster season with a dizzying, breathtaking combination of visual bravura and rich thematic depth. Upon first viewing, elements of the plot felt more than a little dense and convoluted (the opening confrontation between Cobb and Saito left me utterly lost as to who's dream was who's), but now, after seeing it again, all the pieces fit together. DiCaprio gives for my money what is his best performance, one which marks the culmination of his maturity as an actor. He really gets to grips with his character, expertly conveying great emotional depth as well as carrying the entire weight of the narrative of his character's journey on his shoulders. He's aided by a fantastic supporting cast, all of whom are utterly memorable in their own way (Tom Hardy is fast becoming one of my favourites nowadays), and in between the dream jumping, it's ultimately a very personal, human tale of family and redemption. Nolan here has almost outdone himself, exploring questions of guilt and regret within a wonderfully surreal, reality-altering world that swells with imagination. The only real stumbling block in his direction, and this is something that he's always had trouble with, is his handling of action sequences: the zero-gravity set-piece is absolutely terrific, with truly jaw-dropping choreography and stunt work, but when it comes to more conservative sequence, he's nowhere near as sure-footed, with the final product lacking clarity and feeling awkwardly artificial and episodic. That's really only a minor complaint however in the long run of things. It remains a truly excellent film, bordering on real greatness. At the moment I still think it's not quite the masterpiece some have claimed, but that may change upon further viewings. It's vying for the top spot just now in my top 5 films of this year. Great stuff.

There are plenty of reviews here that cover this film - so my five stars are for: hats off to Nolan, an amazing feat of screenwriting and direction, conveying an ultimately absurd and complex pretext in such a convincing cinematic manner. Truly impressive, combining commercialism and artistic intent in one. This will not appeal to purists but I love hollywood and its long tradition of delivering unashamedly packaged entertainments covering supernatural or otherworldly subject matter in apparently effortless exposition - (see 'Portrait of Jenny' "The Devil and Daniel Webster' and many many more).Nolan delivers the package with dazzling skill - carefully crafted characters, including the unlikely Ellen Page's character as the genius teenage 'architect' of dreams who is sourced by Cobb's father at a University in Paris - she is the central character in supporting role which the main demographic attending cinemas 18-25 year olds, will identify with. Notice how she quickly becomes not only one of the team, but the trusted confidante who learns Cobb's darkest secrets - she is a proxy for the audience members, drawing them into the film.The ridiculous subject matter is dealt with so skillfully that suspension of disbelief is absolute from frame one to the rolling credits - yes I did say ridiculous, but I am not being disrespectful, far from it - this is an amazing feat of screenwriting and direction - Nolan is a master in the great Hollywood tradition of weaving a dreamworld which we all buy into - on this evidence, perhaps he is their greatest exponent.The Dark Knight was a greater achievement for its intellectual depth and Heath Ledger's astonishing central performance - but Inception is an extraordinary and daring piece of wizardry - I am not surprised it took 10 years to develop - nothing to do with special effects - it is the screenplay and direction which is so impressive -Mr. Nolan, I salute you